I work in the bulk section of a grocery store (Central Market) and I think my favorite thing about working there is listening to people try to pronounce quinoa. My second favorite thing about working there is helping people who get overwhelmed by all of the different types of grains we have.

I thought it might be fun to have a series of posts about some of the different types of grains, and I wanted to get started with the powerhouse of them all- quinoa!

So first for the record quinoa is pronounced keen-wah. I hear it pronounced every which way and it makes me giggle at the different ways that people say it! So now that we’re done with that we can get right into the good stuff!

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is technically a seed, not a grain though we do tend to refer to it as a grain because it’s grain-like. It’s sometimes called a pseudocereal since it’s not technically part of the grass family like the other grains. Quinoa is related to beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.

Quinoa has been around for 3-4000 years and it originated in the Andes of South America. The Incas referred to it as the ‘mother of all grains’

What’s so great about quinoa?

Quinoa is considered a nutritional powerhouse because it’s protein content is so high and because it is considered a complete protein (it contains all of the essential amino acids- other plant foods tend to be low in some of them. For example wheat and rice are a little low in lysine). Quinoa is also a great source of fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron (one serving= ~20% DV of iron!!). Also 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa is only about 155 calories, making it a BIG bang for your nutritional buck!

Do you suffer from migraines?

Because quinoa is so high in magnesium it is a great idea to add some to your diet if you suffer from migraines. Magnesium is a mineral, and it helps relax blood vessels and could help prevent migraines. Increased intake of magnesium has been shown to be related to a reduced frequency of headache episodes reported by migraine sufferers.

Since we’re talking about magnesium and relaxed blood vessels, quinoa is also great for your heart! It can help decrease hypertension and rates of heart disease!

Saponin

In it’s natural state, quinoa has a coating of something called saponin for protection. This makes it bitter so that nothing will want to eat it. Saponin is toxic and can be irritating to the respiratory and GI tract, so make sure to give your quinoa a good rinse before you cook it (I rinse it in a mesh sieve until all the soapy-ness of the saponin is rinsed off)

What do I do with quinoa?

You can do so much with quinoa! You can use it in place of the grain in pretty much any recipe. It cooks up just like rice. I usually make mine in my rice cooker with the same ratios as I would use with rice…one part quinoa to two parts water or vegetable broth(it tastes soooooo good when you make it with vegetable broth!!) If you cook it on the stove, do the same ratios, but let it simmer very low for about 15-20 minutes.

Quinoa Recipes

I thought I ‘d share a couple of my favorite quinoa recipes just to get you started. I posted them earlier today since I knew that this post would be long enough, so I’ll just link you to the recipes!

Bring veggie broth to a boil. Add quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 15-20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool. (OR you can skip this if you have a rice cooker- just throw it all in there, turn it on and let it do its thang!)

I am absolutely obsessed with tempeh right now! If you’ve never tried tempeh, you are missing out my friend! You need to try it ASAP! I thought I’d take a minute to tell you all about this wonderful food!

What is tempeh?

Tempeh is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia(it’s been a staple food there for over 2,000 years!!!). It is made by fermenting soybeans and forming them into a cake. Tempeh is a whole soybean product. Because of the fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean, it has a higher content of protein, fiber, and vitamins. It also has a very firm texture.

Tempeh Nutrition

Tempeh is a great source of protein, fiber, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.

What does it taste like?

Tempeh has a wonderfully nutty taste! It’s also got a nice “meaty” chewiness to it. Like tofu, it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. It soaks up marinades really really well!

What do I do with tempeh?

The opportunities are almost endless! You can simply slice it and put it on a sandwich. You can cube it up and throw it into your favorite stir fry. You can marinate it any which way and sear it in a pan or bake it in the oven. You can crumble it up into just about anything you can think of- sloppy joes, spaghetti sauce, BBQ sauce, etc…

One thing I always do with it before I cook it is STEAM it! Tempeh can have a bit of a strong(some people say a little bitter) taste. Steaming it before you use it completely gets rid of that strong flavor leaving it with a nice, nutty, mellow flavor! I also think it absorbs the marinade better when you steam it first. Just throw it in a steamer basket in a pot on the stove and steam it for 10 minutes.

My favorite brands of tempeh

There are two brands of tempeh that I usually get- one is Lightlife, which you can get in soy, three grain, and wild rice. The other is Turtle Island Foods, which comes in soy, 5 grain, and several different flavors.

Whatever brand you choose, make sure it’s organic. When it’s organic the soybeans used are not genetically modified!

One of my favorite things to do with tempeh is to make tempeh bacon! It hits all the same notes as bacon, but no little piggies have to die! It’s salty, smokey, and sweet. What more could you ask for! There are many different recipes out there, but here’s what works best for me…

Stay Connected

Looking for Something?

Footer #3 Widget

This is an example of a widgeted area that you can place text to describe a particular product or service. You can also use other WordPress widgets such as recent posts, recent comments, a tag cloud or more.